Without You
by Ralph Jr
Summary: A "what-if" story, if you will. You all remember the episode "The Sky's the Limit"...but suppose the events of that episode had turned out differently. What if Ralph had been killed when his plane crashed? How would Melissa react and how would she try to move on with her life? Find out here in this tragic one-off story from her point-of-view...WARNING: You may need a tissue...


**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: First things first...I actually wrote this story WELL over a month and a half ago...but for some reason, I forgot to post this story to this site...until now! How on earth THAT happened...I don't even know...

Anyways, I'm another year older now (21 already...where does the time fly?), and, unfortunately, I've hit a bit of a snag with "Growing Up!" as I've felt in a bit of a funk for the past couple months...and honestly, I think writing this particular story had something to do with it. The last chapter of "Growing Up!" was pretty emotional seeing as we see her long lost Uncle Scott and the last time she ever saw him before he was sent off to Vietnam where he ultimately ended up meeting his demise...a very emotional chapter indeed. This little short story, however, is probably be the saddest thing I've ever written...I'm sure most of you remember the episode "The Sky's The Limit", in which we meet Melissa's ex-boyfriend, Troy Malone. Ralph quickly becomes jealous because Melissa is paying more attention to Troy than him, and to make matters worse, Troy constantly belittles him for being far too mundane and bland in comparison to him. Ralph's self-confidence takes a big hit, and as thus, he begins to feel that he isn't good enough for Melissa and she probably deserves someone more like Troy. So he volunteers himself to fly Cyril Sneer's plane to compete against Troy in a race at the Evergreen Air Show. He wound up crashing the plane, but fortunately he wasn't hurt...but Melissa was _terrified_, no doubt afraid of what could possibly happen if Ralph crashed...the possibility that she could lose her husband. She and Ralph made up afterwards (probably in more ways than one...) and everything turned out alright in the end. But...suppose Melissa's worst fears _had _come true. What if Ralph had been severely injured or even killed when his plane crashed? It would be especially tragic since Ralph basically died for nothing; he never had to prove to Melissa that he was worth her love. So, I decided to write this little one-off story showing what could have happened had Melissa lost Ralph that day. You'll see how things turned out differently that day, how much it hurt Melissa's heart to lose Ralph, and even her very strongly considering ending her own life...From her point of view! Remember...this isn't canonical with the rest of my stories (Well, OBVIOUSLY not, seeing as Ralph and Melissa couldn't have a child together if Ralph died years before "Beat the Clock)...that's probably the only really bright thing I can tell you...Well, canonical with my past stories, but not my future ones...

**WARNING: **The following story is really, really, _**REALLY **_sad, depressing, and tragic. As an emergency precaution, you may want to have some tissues handy, since this story may very well make you tear up...

**"Without You"**

I look out the upstairs window of my home, the Racccoondominium, as I sit in silence on my bed. It's a beautiful day today. I can see the sun brightly shining and hear the ever pleasant sounds of birds chirping. It would be a perfect day to go for a walk...if I felt like it...

Today normally _would _be a happy day for me. You see...today is May 12th. Five years ago, one of the most important events in my whole life occurred; it was that day that I wed my husband, Ralph. I still remember that day fondly. It was the beginning of an uncertain future for the two of us. We had our whole lives ahead of us; we felt that if we worked together, we'd be able to solve any problems and disagreements we might have. We felt we would always stick together, through thick and thin, in good times and in bad...

Seeing that today was my wedding anniversary, it _should_ be a happy day for me.

But alas, it isn't. It _never _will be a happy day again, as long as I live.

Why is that, you might ask?

Because he's not here anymore.

When Ralph and I were first married, I anticipated we'd have many years together ahead of us. I certainly couldn't have anticipated that we'd be together only a few years before he was gone. He was still so young...

I still can't believe it. I'm only twenty-eight years old...and _already _I'm a lonely widow. Twenty-eight just seems _far _too young for a woman like me to have already experienced such a great loss. How could it have happened to me? I knew they always said life wasn't fair, but I didn't think this would _ever _happen to me...

It seems like only yesterday that he was here. I can still hear his warm, friendly voice ringing through my head...so clearly. He wasn't like any other guy I'd known in my life...he _listened _to me, he actually cared about me for who I really was rather than how I looked or how I was in bed...he made me feel special like no other guy had ever made me feel before! I know I really meant the world to him, and he meant all the world to me, as well.

Which is why it hurts so much knowing I'll never see him again. Just the other day, Bert and I dropped by the Evergreen Cemetery to pay him a visit and put some flowers on his grave. I can't believe it's been nearly a month since he was killed...There are so many little things I'm going to miss that I had started to take for granted when he was still here...

No more warm hugs.

No one to snuggle up with at night.

No more kisses goodnight.

No more sweet little poems telling me how much he loves me and just how much I mean to him.

No more candelight dinners.

No warm shoulder to cry on whenever I feel sad.

No more tandem bike rides together.

No more "quality time" between us at night...

I keep wishing this is all a horrible nightmare I'm having and that if I pinch myself hard enough, I'll wake up and Ralph will be right there next to me; snuggled up with me, a warm smile on his face. But it's only wishful thinking. I know as long as I live, I'll never see his cute smile or his friendly eyes again.

All that I have left of my Ralph...are the memories.

Which is why a mostly full photo album is sitting on the bed beside me. I place it in my lap and open it up to the first page. I figure it would be nice to remember the good times Ralph and I shared together while he was still here...that it might take my mind off his death. For a while, at least...

I look at some of the photos on the front page of the photo album. There's the first photo of me and Ralph together, when we went on a little fishing trip together with Bert, almost a year before we actually started dating. There's Ralph, with his shy little smile planted on his face...he was _so _very shy when I first met him. He had such a hard time talking to girls back then as many of them didn't particularly like someone who didn't have much confidence in himself...And yet, I couldn't help but find him so sweet, so cute, so endearing. I see my younger self holding up a large bass I caught, a proud smile occupying my face, my arm wrapped firmly around Ralph. Somehow, I just _knew _we'd be together someday...

Next is a photo of Ralph and I smiling as we pose together for a photo at Evergreen Lanes after a night we spent bowling together, taken about a year after Ralph and I started dating. Ralph looks pretty embarrassed, while I have a pretty happy expression on my face. I remember when that photo was taken; Ralph had bowled an absolutely _terrible _game, as he managed to get a gutter ball almost _every _single time. What can I say...Ralph was _never _much of an athlete...I pretty much _always _beat him whenever we bowled, played baseball together, or played hockey against each other during the winter. But he didn't mind since the two of us were having so much fun together, fun that he'd been missing out on for most of his younger years. Ralph may not have been in as good a shape as I am, and he wasn't the most attractive guy around...but it didn't matter...I still loved him for who he really was, regardless of his appearance or his athletic abilities.

I flip through several more pages, reliving each of the memories as I thumb through the photo album. I come across photos of our wedding...the happiest moment in my whole life. Ralph had been pretty shy when we first started dating, but over the two years we were boyfriend and girlfriend, he managed to gain more confidence in himself...well, managing to finally get a girlfriend probably helped! It was _quite _a surprise when he actually gathered up the courage to ask me if I'd be his wife! Seeing how much I loved and trusted him, it wasn't any real surprise that I said "Yes" to his proposal. I still have the video tape of our wedding reception somewhere in the attic...I'll have to dig it out one of these days...

And then finally, I come across my favorite photo of the two of us together. It's a photo of us that Bert took last year outside the _Evergreen Standard_'s office. I have a _r__eally _goofy facial expression planted on my face, as I'm sticking my tongue out. Ralph has me wrapped up in his arms in a tight embrace (how I miss feeling his warm embrace...), laughing at how silly I looked. It might be a strange picture to call my favorite of us together...but I just _love _this picture. I think it shows just how much the two of us loved one another and how much we enjoyed each other's company...how we could each make one another happy. I should get that particular photo framed to place next to my bed...

I close the photo album as I look back on all the memories Ralph and I shared together while he was alive. They may take my mind off his death for a while...But _only _for a while. I just can't help but feel so sad knowing that there won't be any new memories to add to this or any other photo albums. And I can't help but think of what memories we'll miss out on...

We'll never know what it's like to grow old together. I always imagined us aging gracefully alongside one another. I always did envision the two of us still being deeply in love and happily married when we were old and grey, in our eighties or so. I may get to know what it's like to grow old, but Ralph never will...

We'll never get to see the _Evergreen Standard _grow and flourish together. The _Standard _was _our _paper...in a strange way, it was almost like Ralph's baby. He _loved _his job as the paper's editor. Just last year, he actually won a "Small Town Editor of the Year Award"...it was possibly the proudest I'd ever seen him. He felt so proud of his work, knowing he could help make a difference in our Forest's community...But alas, his paper will have to live on without him...

But what's saddened me most of all recently is the fact that Ralph and I will never get to know what it's like to be parents. When we got married, we decided it would be best to focus on our careers first since we felt we were still a little bit young to start a family. We decided we'd put kids off for a while and that once we had some stability and financial security in our lives, we'd give it more of a thought. But now...we'll never get to know that joy. Ralph will never get to know what it's like to be a new father. I had hardly even thought about kids at all these past few years, but now...I just can't help but feel saddened knowing that I almost certainly will never get to be a mother. We'll never know what our children would look like or how they would turn out...and my dying family bloodline is quite likely going to end with _me_.

Tears slide down my cheeks as I dry my eyes with a tissue. It just seems _so _unfair for me to be going through this so early on in life...

I begin to cry a little more as I think about that terrible day when Ralph lost his life. It was only a month ago, and that day still seems so clear in my mind...I've thought about it over and over again for the past month...

The morning prior to that day, Bert, Ralph, and I had gone to watch the trial runs for the annual Evergreen Air Show. Bert and I figured it would be fun to watch the vintage planes of yesteryear in action, plus we could always write about it in the next issue of the _Standard_. Ralph...did not share our enthusiasm. He'd never been all that fond of airplanes...in fact, he was actually pretty terrified of them! I never even knew until we found an old Whirlyboy Stubbs helicopter, and Ralph told me how his uncle was a famous bush pilot before World War II...and it turned out for all his bragging, he was actually _frightened _of flying! He also was feeling a bit bummed out with his work lately, as he'd had to work on the _Standard_'s food column due to our regular writer, Ricky, being out sick...I knew writing about food and recipes wasn't of much interest to Ralph, considering he wasn't a good cook...Not to mention our printing press was having problems yet again. It has a bad habit of breaking down on us...

Then we saw a plane coming in to land, performing all sorts of daring aerial stunts as it did. We all wondered who could be flying that plane...and I got quite a surprise when it was someone whose face I knew all too well...Troy Malone!

Troy Malone was my old boyfriend from my last year-and-a-half of high school, before I moved to the Forest with my father. We met by chance when my father had taken me on a skiing trip...I was out on the slopes when suddenly an avalanche broke out. It just so happened that he was on the slopes at the same time as me and, seeing that I was in trouble, managed to get me to safety before I got buried under several feet of snow. I was so grateful for him rescuing me. It surprised me when he moved to the city a little over a year later and started coming to my high school; it wasn't long before the two of us started dating.

I still remember a lot of my high school friends thought Troy and I were a wonderful couple. My girlfriends would tell me I was so lucky to land a guy like him, and that they wished that they could trade places with me. We were even voted the couple most likely to be together forever in our high school's yearbook (which I still have to this day)! But alas...things didn't work out between us. Troy was everything Ralph wasn't. He was very handsome in appearance...had he not chosen to be an aviator, he probably could have done some male modeling work. He was _very _confident in himself, to the point where he sometimes got on my nerves with his arrogance. I got the feeling that he cared more about himself than he did about me. Eventually, I felt I couldn't take much more of it (not to mention, he also wasn't supporting me by coming to my plays or my softball or hockey games), so just before we graduated and just before my father and I left the city to move to the Forest, I decided it'd be best if we broke things off with each other. A lot of my friends told me I was making a _huge _mistake by breaking up with him, but I felt it was for the best. I didn't think we could really keep up a long distance relationship with each other, plus our personalities clashed with one another a little too much.

I hadn't seen him since I'd moved away, so I was certainly surprised to see him once again! I didn't feel the same way about him as I did back when we were in high school...I felt I'd finally found true happiness with Ralph. But it was still nice to see someone from my past again and catch up with him to see how our lives had turned out. It wasn't much of a surprise that he'd accomplished his goal of being a daring aviator participating in rescue missions, traveling all around the world to save people in danger, considering he'd been taking flying lessons when we'd graduated from high school!

I was glad to see Troy again...but Ralph...was _not_. It became clear pretty quickly he wasn't particularly happy to see one of my old boyfriends come literally flying right back into my life. I could definitely tell he felt jealous of the attention I was giving him...it was only natural he'd feel that way, as he'd never been pleased to see me making a new male friend. I can't particularly say I blame him for being jealous, looking back on it now...I _was _the only girlfriend he'd ever had. He'd had so much girl trouble in his high school days...besides, I don't think too many people would be all that happy to see their significant other catching up on old times with one of their exes!

Ralph had opted not to go to the costume ball that night seeing as he was planning to spend the evening at the _Standard_'s office (Ralph, sometimes...I sometimes wondered what he really loved most...me, or his job!), so Troy eagerly volunteered to go with me instead, as he already had his "dashing aviator" costume ready. No doubt this surely upset Ralph even more...I remember going to the ball as an angel (I would have thought Ralph would have liked that costume, considering he often told me I was _his _angel...). That night, tragedy nearly struck as the pigs nearly killed me and a good number of the Forest's residents when they accidentally started up Cyril Sneer's plane...Cyril had planned to enter the air race the next day with the pigs as he was certainly quite interested in the $50,000 prize (Cyril will _never _pass up an opportunity to win some money). Those pigs sometimes...I swear, one of these days they will either kill themselves or Cyril! But luckily, Troy was able to stop the plane before it harmed anyone.

It just so happened that Ralph had decided to show up at the costume ball after all...dressed as a carrot. I wondered just _why _he picked such a ridiculous costume...he didn't tell me. Maybe he was trying to comment on his dissatisfaction with having to write articles on subjects he himself didn't particularly care for. I was _very _surprised to see him...Everyone was proud of Troy for saving the day, but Ralph...was not. If anything, he sounded rather pissed-off. I asked him just _why_ he was so upset and he told me that he thought that Troy was pompous and stuck-up, and he just wanted him to go away. This would have been a good time for us to work everything out...I know now Ralph was afraid that Troy was going to steal me away from him. But I told him that Troy would be leaving after the air race and then he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. I thought that would set everything straight...Little did I know that Ralph's own jealousy would be his ultimate undoing...How was I to know that?

Next morning, Ralph was _still _quite angry as Troy was fooling around with him while he was busy at work typing up another article. Troy offered to take me and Bert for a ride in his airplane. I couldn't help but jump at the chance...I'm the kind of girl who always loves a bit of adventure in my life and a good thrill from time to time! I offered Ralph the chance to come along too...I thought it'd be fun and maybe it would ease things between him and Troy. Ralph said he would come later when he was finished with his work, so I figured everything would work out fine.

The plane ride was...quite a thrill! Like I said, I always _love _a bit of excitement in my life. Little did I know that when Troy landed his plane, Ralph would be waiting there for him; he was _furious_. I could see the veins in his forehead bulging...I thought smoke was going to start billowing out of his ears. I'd never seen him that mad in my life. He angrily told Troy just what he thought of and told him to stay away from me and not put my life in danger, then angrily stormed off. I was just so confused...I didn't know what had crawled up his butt the past couple days. I knew that Ralph was afraid I was going to leave him for Troy...even though he'd gained a lot more self-confidence, he could still get himself down sometimes...and when he did, he'd be _really _down in the dumps. He should have known better...I had made a vow when we'd been wed that I would always love him and stay faithful to him for...well, forever! I was _not _the kind of gal who could just simply turn back on a vow..

I figured it was time to put an end to this and _really _talk things out with Ralph before things got out of hand. I wanted to tell him that Troy may have once been my boyfriend, but that was all in the past and that I only loved and wanted him. Unfortunately, I couldn't find where he'd stormed off to in such a hurry. Bert and I checked the Raccoondominium, Evergreen Lake, the _Standard_'s office...no luck. If only we'd thought to check Sneer Mansion...maybe we could have stopped him before it was too late...

Then, it was time for the big air race to start. Troy was all geared up in his plane and ready to go, eager to claim that prize money all for himself, while Bert and I were there to cheer him on. Cyril's plane was ready too. But something wasn't right. The pigs weren't in the cockpit...

At that moment, Cedric walked up to us. "Hi, Cedric," I smiled. "I thought the pigs were flying Cyril's plane...?" I couldn't make out _who _was flying Cyril's plane. "Who's that?"

"You mean..." Cedric began, "...he didn't tell you?"

Didn't tell me? Who didn't tell me? Suddenly, the wheels began to turn inside my head. "_Oh no_," I fearfully thought. "_Please don't let it be who I think it is..._"

Bert glanced through the binoculars he'd brought with him to get a better look. "It's Ralph!" he exclaimed.

It was just as I feared...I instantly became afraid. Sure enough, he was right...that was Ralph at the controls of Cyril's plane. "_Oh no!_" I fearfully thought. "_Ralph can't be doing this...no...Not **again**...He can't do this! He can't!_"

This wasn't the first time Ralph had tried doing something completely crazy to try to prove his worth to me. Before we started dating, I'd asked Ralph if he'd be interested in taking me to the Valentine's Day Ball...but he refused as he said he was too busy with his work. It upset me so much since I genuinely had feelings for him and I thought he shared those same kinds of feelings for me...I couldn't believe he would turn me down. When a rowdy biker by the name of Arnold Layne, who had bullied Ralph throughout his high school years, took an interest in me, however, he proceeded to take him on in a motocross competition at the (no longer existing) local motorcycle arena. The condition of the race would be that the winner would get to escort me to the Ball. It ended badly as Arnold shoved Ralph off his motorcycle and he wound up spraining his wrist. This whole incident came _very _close to keeping me from getting together with him...but ultimately, everything turned out alright afterwards as Ralph and I made up and went to the Ball together (we first became a couple the very night of the Ball). I had him make a promise to me that if we were going to be together, that he would _never _do anything wildly irrational like that again that could get himself seriously hurt. He'd promised me he wouldn't do anything like that again...

I couldn't believe it. Ralph had broken his promise to me! He was so jealous of Troy he was willing to risk his own life to take him on at his own game, just so he could prove he was good enough for me. I was so _angry _at him...but I was also frightened. I knew Ralph was afraid of flying and had virtually no experience at all...Cyril had let him fly his plane without even really having him practice beforehand. I just had this feeling something terrible would happen if I didn't do something...

I dashed out towards the planes. I was frantic...I _had _to stop my husband before he got himself hurt, or worse! Both planes were ready to take off and kicking up dust...but I thought I could stop Ralph in time.

"Ralph!" I called to him in a terrified voice, in between coughs from inhaling the dust. "Ralph! NO! _Don't do this, RALPH!_" I pleaded, just _hoping _he would hear me.

But alas, he didn't hear me over the whirring of the airplane props. I was too late to stop him. Ralph and Troy took off into the skies, and all I could do was stand there, frozen in sheer terror.

"_Ralph..._" I thought to myself, fearful for his life, "_...please...Please don't crash..._"

I could overhear Bert and Cedric pondering the reason as to why Ralph would take on Troy Malone in the air race, and Cedric deducing that it was because he was jealous of him. I knew he was right...I just couldn't believe that Ralph would _do _this to me...

All I could do was watch in fright as the two planes flew around the course. Ralph's lack of experience quickly showed, as he was having a hard time piloting the plane...he was flying all _over _the place, barely able to keep it under control. He even managed to get upside down at one point!

"_RALPH!_" I cried in terror. Bert and Cedric were cheering him on...and all I could do was watch in shock and fearfully cry out his name, mentally praying the whole time that he'd at least manage to land in one piece...At that moment, Cyril Sneer joined us as he decided to watch his "star" pilot in action, eagerly keeping his eye on that prize money. The three of them were cheering for Ralph...

...but I just _knew _something bad was going to happen...

It just so happened at that moment that Troy lost focus for a moment and hit one of the scoring pylons, damaging his plane and knocking out one of the engines. Thick black smoke trailed from the broken engine.

Cyril was certainly pleased at that particular sight. "Go Ralph!" he eagerly chanted. "You've got this race wrapped up! Hahaha!" he guffawed, visions of the cash prize no doubt dancing through his head.

It all seemed so familiar to me...Arnold Layne had made a mistake when Ralph had taken him on years prior, and it looked like Ralph was actually going to win...until Arnold promptly crashed him right out of the race. I was hoping this wouldn't turn out the same as that had turned out...but I just had this feeling in my gut something _really _bad was about to happen. I couldn't really worry about Troy; he was an experienced pilot and could easily handle the situation. It was Ralph I had to worry about...if he found himself in that situation, there was no way he'd be able to handle it with his inexperience...

At that moment, Ralph turned his plane around (with a great deal of effort) and flew after Troy. Cyril was obviously disgusted.

"_NO!_ _NO! NO, YOU RINGTAILED REJECT!_" he angrily shouted. Cyril had never been fond of us, _especially _not my husband..."Not _THAT _way! What in the name of wingtips is he _doing_?"

"He's goin' after Troy! That's our Ralphie!" Bert enthusiastically cheered. It was always like Ralph to help those who were in trouble...even people he didn't particularly like...

But what happened next will haunt me for the rest of my life...

I don't know exactly what happened...as best I can tell, Ralph was blinded by the oil from Troy's plane. All of a sudden, his plane violently swerved around as he flew around completely erratically.

"_No..._" I continued to fearfully think to myself as I watched the spectacle unfold before my eyes. "_No! This can't happen...This can't happen!_" But I just _knew _what was about to happen...

To the surprise of no one, Troy easily won the race...while Ralph continued to fly around very erratically, very low to the ground. His plane flew so low that it hit some rocks and damaged the plane...I gasped in terror. Bert continued to eagerly cheer for his old friend to at least make it back safely, but I knew Ralph surely wouldn't...

Ralph lost control of the plane altogether as his plane violently slammed into the scoring pylon, shearing a wing off the plane as it spun wildly out of control.

"_No...no...no..._" was all I could think to myself, as I was paralyzed with terror.

"What's going on?! He _better_ not crash! _That's my plane!_" Cyril angrily exclaimed. Of _course _Cyril would care more about the plane...it cost him money. He never liked having to blow his own money...

I could care less about what happened to Cyril's plane...all I cared about was my husband. I knew it was just moments away...my heart rapidly began to sink...

Ralph's plane continued to spin around violently, before it stopped and violently nosedived towards the ground, shedding parts and pieces as it went. I could see Ralph's face as the plane flew towards the ground...he was terrified for his life. I was just as terrified...knowing I was about to possibly see my husband die...

Then it happened. My worst fears came true. Ralph's plane violently slammed into the ground and cartwheeled violently end over end. From what I later found out, it seems Ralph's seatbelt failed when the plane crashed...

...because the next thing I saw was the most horrible thing in my life. As the plane tumbled over and over, Ralph was violently hurled from the cockpit and flew through the air. He landed on the ground _very_ hard on his back nearly fifty feet from where the plane ultimately tumbled to a stop, a loud thud being heard as he landed. The entire audience gasped in horror at the grisly sight they'd just seen. He just laid there, completely motionless...

My heart absolutely shattered as I instinctively raced towards Ralph, tears streaming from my eyes. "_RAAAAAAALLLLPPPHHHHHHHHH!_" I cried in absolute sorrow, hoping to get to him as quickly as I could. I _knew _Ralph was hurt for sure. How badly was what I wondered...Bert and Cedric quickly followed me as I mentally prayed that Ralph's injuries weren't serious or life-threatening...

I vaguely remember racing past Troy as he held his arms out, probably expecting me to hug him for winning...but it didn't matter who won the race. All I cared about was Ralph. I couldn't bear the thought of losing him...

After what seemed like an eternity, I ran past the smoking wreck of the plane and came across Ralph's motionless body.

I gasped in absolute shock at what I saw...I _knew _he'd been hurt pretty badly, for sure, but I hadn't anticipated _how _badly...

Ralph was sprawled out motionless on his back. Both of his legs were quite severely broken, and his right arm was badly popped out of its' joint. The fingers on his right paw were badly crushed, and blood was trailing out of his mouth. The autopsy later confirmed that Ralph had also broken his back when he impacted the ground, and he'd broken several ribs. One of them had punctured one of his lungs, and many of his other internal organs had been damaged...Had he somehow survived, Ralph would have probably spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair and needed a _lot _of extra care...Had the seatbelt not failed, Ralph might have been okay...

"_RALPH!_" I cried, absolutely horrified to see the man I loved so badly hurt. I could see his eyes blinking and he was uttering a low moan, so I at least knew he was still alive...but he was in _terrible _shape...

"Ralphie boy, you alri-" Bert shouted as he raced up to Ralph's battered body as well, only to stop in his tracks in astonishment. "Oh my _God!_" he shouted. "Ralphie boy...Good grief! You're all mangled up!"

Cedric raced up to the crash site at that point as well. He covered his mouth in absolute shock at how severely Ralph was hurt.

"Cedric..." Bert gulped, a few tears coming to his eyes. "Is...Ralph...gonna be...y'know...alright?" I think he wanted to believe Ralph would recover from his injuries, although deep down he knew how serious this was...

"I...don't think so...Bert," Cedric trembled, saddened to see what had happened to his childhood friend. He was completely speechless, not even sure of what to say.

Ralph continued to groan in agony as I kneeled down beside, getting up close to his badly bruised face. "Ralph..." I tearfully said. "Ralph...can you...can you speak to me?"

"Urrggggghhhhh..." Ralph groaned. "Why...why...why did...why did I do that..."

"You're gonna be alright...aren't ya, Ralphie boy...?" Bert croaked.

"I...I don't think so...Bert..." Ralph weakly said. "I...I think I...I think I broke..._everything_..." he moaned.

"Ralph..." I continued to cry. "Why...? Why did you do it, Ralph...? You promised me you would never do anything like this again..._why?!_"

"I...I thought I wasn't...wasn't good enough...for you...I thought Troy was...going to...try to take...take you away...from me..." he weakly panted. It clearly hurt him to talk...

"Ralph..." I continued to tearfully sob. "Ralph, you _know _me better than that! Troy and I were together in the past...but the past is behind me! I married _you_ because...I love you, Ralph! Why would you think...I'd want to leave you...?"

"My...my jealousy...got the best...of me..." Ralph sadly sighed. He _knew _he'd screwed up big time.

It was at that moment that Cyril Sneer strolled up to the crash site. He looked _quite_ angry...

"Alright, where is that conniving blackmasked bandit?" he snarled. "I'm gonna clip his tail for wrecking my plane, the bas-" But he stopped when he saw how seriously injured poor Ralph was. He practically turned pale.

"My...My condolences...to you..." he briefly placed his paw on his shoulder, before backing away, clearly rattled by what he saw before him. I think he knew right away Ralph wasn't going to make it...

I could hear the sound of the ambulances coming for Ralph...I could also hear Troy bragging away, without a care in the world.

"Well, that was no surprise, folks," he beamed. "This is all too common when a rookie is sent in to take on a professional's job! We can't end the airshow on a dour note...I _am_ the winner...aren't I...?" No one cheered for him, everyone was simply stunned by what they had seen.

I _knew _exactly why I broke up with Troy so many years before. He'd only ever really truly seemed to care about himself. He didn't care at _all _for what had happened to Ralph...he thought people should be proud of him for winning the race. All he wanted was the glory...Ralph _was _right about him, I had to admit. But that still didn't mean he needed to take on Troy when he had nothing to prove...

I was mad at Ralph, but I couldn't yell at him, seeing how badly he was hurt. All I wanted to do was be right there beside him...comforting him in what could be his final moments of life.

"Melissa..." he weakly uttered.

"Yes, Ralph...?" I could hear some emergency staff running up behind me; I think Ralph could sense them too.

"Tell them...tell them...to go...away..." he whispered to me, realizing that his time was near..."I want...to...talk...to you all...alone..."

I froze for a moment knowing what was coming. I turned around and motioned to Bert and Cedric with tears streaming down my face. "You heard him...guys..."

They both put on their brave faces and walked towards the emergency staff as Ralph was trying his best to talk to me...

"Melissa...I'm..." He had a hard time finishing his sentence-tears streamed down his face as he tried to talk. "Melissa, I'm...I'm _so _sorry, Melissa..."

"Oh, Ralph..." I couldn't help but cry too as I pressed my nose against his badly scratched up snout.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I did this...Melissa..." he faintly continued. "I...I should have...used...my head..." he continued to well up.

"Ralph...if...if only we'd discussed this more and talked everything out...you wouldn't have done this..." I continued to cry.

"Yeah..." he barely managed to nod his head. "I broke...my promise...to you...and...look what's...happened...to me..." he sorrowfully moaned. "We...we had so...many...So many years left...together, honey..." he coughed, blood spewing out of his mouth as he did. "And...and I threw it...I threw it...all away...just to prove...myself...to you..." he cried. "I...I really...I really wasn't good...enough...for you...You deserved...better...than me..."

"Oh Ralph..." I tried to encourage him a little as more tears trickled down my face. "You _are _good enough for me. The past four...almost five years have been the happiest years of my life..." I tried to smile. "I...I would _never _trade you for another man, Ralph..."

"Melissa...I'm sorry...I ruined...our lives..." he managed to croak out. Bert and Cedric were back by this time as I saw that the medics had backed away, giving us some privacy. Both of his friends stood there speechless, just looking on in shock at their dying friend. "Can...Can you ever...Can you ever forgive...me...for what...I did...?" I could tell by the look on his face he was afraid that I would _never _forgive him for what he did...

I managed a small reassuring smile as I gently nuzzled his cheek. "Of _course_ I forgive you...Ralph..." I was mad at him for what he'd done, but I couldn't stay mad at him forever. More tears streamed down my face as I began to truly realize what was about to happen...I could see the life beginning to fade from his eyes. Ralph was surely not far from death..."Please...Ralph...Please don't leave me, Ralph..." I sobbed, our teary eyes locked with one another. "I don't want...to lose you...Ralph..."

"I'm sorry...but...I can't...make that...choice...now..." Ralph sighed. I could hear Cyril yelling at the pigs for pretending to be injured to back out of the competition; thus leading to Ralph being gravely injured...If they hadn't have done that, Ralph would have _never _flown that plane...

"You...you'll make it through, Ralphie boy!" Bert managed to crack a smile and pump his fist, as he still didn't want to believe his oldest and dearest friend was probably moments away from death. "They'll...They'll patch ya up and you'll be as good as new in no time...! You...you'll be with us for many years to come!"

"I wish...I wish you...were right...Bert..." Ralph weakly sighed. "I wish...Bert...?"

"Yes...Ralphie boy...?" Bert mournfully asked, wondering what his dying friend was about to tell him.

"Bert...you and Melissa...You two have to...Have to look...after the...the _Standard_...for me..." he coughed up some more blood. "Don't...Don't let the paper...the paper fall apart...without me..."

"I won't, Ralphie boy..." Bert solemnly nodded. "I won't..." he sighed. "Ralphie boy...you...you were the best friend...I ever had..."

"I know Bert..." he sighed once more. "I know..." He turned his attention towards Cedric.

"Cedric...?"

"What is it, Ralph...?" Cedric said, his voice cracking as he spoke as he was choked up with emotion.

"Cedric...You and Bert...you two...have to...be there...for Melissa...She's going to need...Need a lot...of help getting...through this..." he continued to cry, surely imagining how heartbroken I would be without him.

"We'll...we'll try to help her...the best we can...Ralph..." Cedric nodded as he removed his glasses and wiped his eyes.

Ralph's fading eyes gazed towards me one last time. "Melissa..." he weakly uttered; his breath was becoming more labored...

"Ralph..." I tearfully responded.

"Melissa...I...I love you...with all my heart...Melissa..." he continued to cry. "You meant the world...to me..." he weakly smiled. "I never...could have...could have asked for...a better woman...than you..."

"Oh, Ralph..." I sobbed. "I...I never could ask for a better man than you...either..."

"I love you...honey..." he managed to utter. "I'm so sorry...I'm not gonna...I'm not gonna...be with...be with you anymore..."

"Ralph..." I cried out as more and more tears trickled down my face. I knew he was about to leave me... "Please don't go...Ralph...I need you..." I sorrowfully pleaded as I tenderly nuzzled his cheek once more.

"I..I don't have...much choice..." he grunted. "I...I'm _so _sorry..." he repeated himself.

"Ralph..." I leaned down and gave my dying husband one last kiss. He was almost dead...I was about to be a widow...

"I guess this is...goodbye...Ralphie boy...?" Bert choked up. I'd almost _never _seen him cry before...I knew just how emotional he was.

"I guess...so..." Ralph groaned.

"Ralph..." I softly whispered to him in a sorrowful voice, cradling his battered body in my arms. "Ralph...I...I don't know...how...how I'm going to go on...without you..."

"You'll...you'll find a way..." Ralph managed to weakly smile. "You're...You're a strong woman...Melissa...I _know _you'll...be able to...to get...through this..."

I probably could have made it in the world all on my own no problem; Ralph was right. But I didn't _want _to go through life alone. Ever since I was a little girl, I'd always wanted companionship. Ralph had provided me all the company I could have ever asked for. He was my best friend...my companion...my biggest fan...my lover. I just didn't know _how_ I'd ever be able to move on without him in my life...

"Ralph...I'll never forget you...I'll _always _love you..." I sobbed.

"Forever...and always...Melissa..." he whispered. Ralph said no more as his eyes slowly closed and he grew completely limp in my arms.

I checked for a pulse. Nothing there...My Ralph was gone...

I absolutely exploded in a flurry of tears as I let go of my now dead husband.

"No...no..._NOOOOOOOOOOO!_" I cried out at the top of my lungs in total sorrow. I couldn't believe Ralph was really gone...I'd just lost the man I loved the most...And for no good reason at all...

In the present day, I still can't help but cry just remembering Ralph's last moments of life. I still feel so sorrowful knowing that if I'd discussed things further with Ralph and managed to find him before he took control of that plane...he might still be here with me...

Troy had abruptly skipped town the next day without so much as even talking to me. I _have _to wonder what I even saw in him...he didn't even _care_ that Ralph had perished from the injuries he'd suffered in the crash...If he'd stuck around...I would _not _have had very pleasant things to say to him...because if he'd _truly_ cared about me, he would have stopped Ralph before he got himself hurt...

I try frantically to think of something to take my mind off the pain and hurt of losing my soul mate. Music always helps cheer me up whenever I feel sad. Maybe a few golden oldies from my youth might put my mind at ease...

But when I turn on the radio that sits on the dresser, the song I hear only brings even more sadness to my heart...

"_I turned around_

_And the water_

_Was closing_

_All around_

_Like a glove_

_Like the love_

_That had finally_

_Finally found me_

_Then I knew_

_In the crystalline knowledge of you_

_Drove me through the mountains_

_Through the crystal like and clear water fountain_

_Drove me like a magnet_

_To the sea..._"

Of all the songs in the world that particular station had to be playing...they had to be playing the one that was the most special to me and Ralph. That was the song we had played at our wedding...That was _our_ song...I couldn't bear to hear it again as it only reminded me even more that he wasn't here with me anymore...

The past month has been so hard. I barely even made it through Ralph's funeral without bawling my eyes out...And now it seemed like the memories of him were torturing me everywhere I went. Everything reminds me of him.._._I couldn't even turn on the radio without hearing our song...

I know Ralph told me I was a strong woman; that'd I'd be able to get through this and find a way to move on with life without him. I know Bert and Cedric are trying to do everything they can to help me adjust to life alone...

...But I don't think I can take it anymore. I just feel so sad and so..._lonely_. I miss having someone to snuggle with at night. I miss having someone to beat at various sports...I miss having someone to listen to my problems and trying to help me feel better...I miss my Ralph...

I've tried _so _hard to get through this, but it's just gotten worse and worse...Some nights, all I do is bury my head under my pillow and either scream or bawl my eyes out...

I don't feel the enthusiasm for anything anymore. I don't feel like taking pictures for the _Standard_, I don't feel like going out for a walk, I don't feel like playing sports or getting some exercise...I don't feel like I can do much of _anything_ anymore.

I _miss _Ralph so much I can't bear it anymore. I want to be with him again...I just feel so desperate...I don't know if I can go on with life anymore...

I get up from my bed and head downstairs. An idea that has been nagging me for a while has come to me once again...Ralph and I _can_ be together again! I know just how we can be reunited..."Don't worry, Ralph..." I say to myself. "I'm coming to see you..."

I walk into the kitchen and open up one of the drawers. Inside, I find exactly what I'm looking for...A sharp steak knife.

"This should do it," I smile to myself. I can't help but feel excited knowing Ralph and I are about to be reunited with each other...

I hold out my left arm as I prepare to cut my wrists. It'll hurt for a little bit...

...but at least it'll be worth it to be with my Ralph again...

But just as I'm about to slit my wrists...

...I hear someone coming through the front door behind me. They're slowly walking towards the kitchen...

"Hey, Melissa!" I hear the voice calling. It's Bert. He was out fishing with Cedric today.

I hear him walk into the kitchen as I turn around. "Boy, Melissa, you shoulda seen all the fish Cedric and I caught tod-" But he stops mid-sentence when he sees what I am on the verge of doing...

"WOAH! What the...What the _heck _are you doin', Melissa?!" Bert frantically shouts as he reaches for the knife. I try to fight him, but he easily takes it away from me. "Melissa...you...You weren't going to...?"

"I _want_ to, Bert..." I sadly moan as tears stream down my face.

"But why...?"

"Bert...I...I just miss Ralph so much...Oh...how I just wish he were here..." I sob. "I...can't go on anymore...Bert...I just want to...be with him again..."

"You're really takin' Ralphie boy's death hard, aren't ya?" he asks me.

"Yes..." I continue to cry. "Bert...I did date other men before I met Ralph...but...He was something special, Bert...He was the one for me..."

"I think Ralphie boy told me that about you once..." Bert nods.

"You'll know what I mean...when you find the woman who...who you know is...the one..." I continue to pathetically sob. "You'll never want...her to leave you...and when she does...You'll never be the same again..." I try to grab the knife away from Bert. "Please, Bert..." I ask him, "...please, I don't want to go through this anymore..."

Bert manages to keep the knife out of my reach. "I'm not gonna do that, Melissa," he firmly replies.

"Why not...?"

"Because," Bert explains, "Ralphie boy asked me and Cedric to look after you before he died. He asked me to make sure I could help get you through this," he proudly smiles, as he places a paw on my shoulder. "I'm not gonna let you kill yourself, Melissa."

"I just don't know how I can go on without him...I've tried so hard, but no matter what...I don't feel any better than I did when he...passed..."

"Ralphie boy wouldn't wanna see you moping like this," Bert firmly replies once more. "He knew you were a strong woman...wherever he is, I'm sure it's tearing him up seeing you like this. He wouldn't want to see you trying to kill yourself..."

"I know..." I sigh. "I just...I just miss him so much..."

"I miss Ralphie boy too," Bert sighs as well. "It's been really hard knowin' he's not around anymore...He was my best buddy since we were kids. It hurts me as much as it does you," he admits.

"It's just not the same without him..." I can't help but sniffle.

"I know...It just doesn't feel right without him..." Bert nods. "Ralph _was _a good guy...the only thing he ever did wrong...was...loving you...too much..." he sighs.

It tears me up ever more just knowing that his own love for me ended up being my Ralph's demise. "I just wish...I just wish I had him back..."

"I know," Bert says in a comforting voice as he places an arm around me. "But he'd want us to move on with our lives. He wouldn't want us to dwell on the fact that he's no longer here forever...you can't be sad forever, after all!"

I know Bert is trying to help...but it's not really helping me much. "It's just not fair, Bert...I'm too young to be going through all this...Ralph and I had so many more years left ahead of us together..."

"Well...life's not always fair, you know..." Bert tries to cheer me up. "I know that...look what happened to me when I went to Vancouver in the hopes of becoming a rock star. I went through hell and back!"

"What _did_ happen to you in Vancouver, anyways...?" I can't help but wonder aloud. He's given me a few ideas, but he's never told me in detail.

"I...I don't wanna talk about it..." Bert winces, getting a bit defensive. But then he pauses for a moment, obviously mulling over what he should say next. "I...I've never told anyone this...before...but...I think this might be the time for it..." He looks rather reluctant after saying that. "Let's sit down, Melissa..."

"Huh?" I am rather confused...Bert's going to tell me about something that happened to him in Vancouver...? The only thing he's ever told us is that Don Ringtail kicked him out of his own band and everything went to hell for him afterwards...

But I oblige and the two of us sit down at the kitchen table. "Alright, Bert..." I gaze towards him. "What exactly happened to you in Vancouver...?"

"I'd rather not go into all the details," he sighs. "I'll just tell you a little bit..." He definitely doesn't want to talk about it, but he knows he _has _to...

"Tell me as much as you feel you can, Bert," I try to encourage him.

"Well...After Don Ringtail kicked me out of my own band...I tried hard to make ends meet, but I ended up getting kicked out of my apartment because I couldn't find a job to pay the landlord," he sighs. "I wound up living in the streets for quite a while..."

"You poor thing..." I sympathetically reply.

"Yeah," he sighs. "I don't wanna tell ya too much of what happened...but...I got involved with some _really_ shady people trying to make ends meet..."

"What kind of shady people?" _Now _I was curious. Bert had been involved with shady dealings in Vancouver? What could have possibly happened to him?

"Well...I can't say who they are..." Bert worriedly responds; he's obviously afraid that whoever he was involved with could come after him, "but...they tried to kill me."

"They tried to _kill_ you?" Needless to say...I'm stunned! I had no idea that shady people had attempted to take his life during his time in Vancouver! No _wonder _he didn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah...I was desperate to get by somehow...I should have been more careful with who I got involved with..." Bert shamefully remarks. "Eventually things got so bad that I decided to flee the city and come back here to the Raccoondominium. I followed the train tracks home...took me five days to get here..." Bert hushes up...I can tell he doesn't really want to tell me anymore. Needless to say...I don't entirely blame him.

"Bert...I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you..." I place my paw on his shoulder.

"And that's only the stuff...that isn't too stressful...to talk about..." he sighs again. I don't want to _imagine _what else he might have gone through that he can't bring himself to talk about...

"Bert...You're a pretty strong guy," I softly say to him. "You surely went through all kinds of hell in Vancouver...and yet you still manage to be so upbeat and cheerful most of the time."

"I knew everything was against me," he nods. "But through everything I tried to keep my chin up and think about how things would get better. You see, Melissa...Life may not always be fair...But you'll find a way to be able to get by!"

"I know you're trying to help, Bert..." I do manage to crack a little bit of a smile (it's been such a long time since I've smiled!). "Thanks...It's just...you know...going to take quite a while for me to fully get over this...I'm not even close to being there yet..."

"I know," Bert nods. "But Cedric and I'll be here to help ya. If you need any more help...ya know my cousin Roy Schroeder has a psychiatry clinic over in Spruceton. That's just a few miles from here...You could always go there for help; I could get ya an appointment!"

"That might help me out a little..." I sigh. "I just don't like being so lonely..."

"Well, you're not _totally _alone..." he manages to laugh. "I still live here, don't I?" He was right...Bert had decided to continue living at the Raccoondominium, figuring he could at least keep me some company in my time of grief. Just not the kind of company I would _like_...

"I know," I nod.

"And hey. Maybe when you feel good enough," he chuckled, "we could see about findin' you a boyfriend!"

"Oh, Bert!" I had to laugh. "I don't think I'll be looking around for anyone to date anytime soon..."

"Hey...Never know!" he laughs.

"Bert, I made a promise to Ralph when we were wed. I promised him I'd always be faithful to him...even after death," I explained. "I'll admit, I might have the odd date every now and then...but probably nothing too serious. I _do_ want to keep my promise to Ralph..."

"Ah, I understand," Bert flashes his trademark goofy grin. "See, you're not totally alone, Melissa! I'm here for ya," he continues to smirk. "Well, I wouldn't actually _want _to date ya, seeing as...Well, you're Ralph's girl. If I went out with you I have this feeling that Ralphie boy's ghost would come out the grave and start haunting me every night telling me I stole his special gal." Typical Bert...he always believed in the paranormal...only _he _would think Ralph would come back as a ghost. "But if ya need someone to talk to, I'll be here!"

"Bert...thank you..." I manage to smile as I give him a friendly hug. Not _too _intimate, mind you...Bert's too close to my late husband; I couldn't ever really date him since he's too close of a friend. I knew Bert wouldn't try to make a move for me...after all, he'd helped Ralph win my heart in the first place. To try to start a relationship with me would surely make him feel like a terrible friend; it would probably make him feel as if he was dishonoring Ralph in death. "You're a true friend, Bert."

"Hey, I always try!" he laughs. "Besides, even if Ralphie boy's not with you, you've still got the memories of him. No one's gonna take _those _away from ya. I try not to think of how he...well...you know...I try to think of our happier memories we had together, y'know! It makes me feel better to think about them!"

"You're right," I smile. I never even thought of it that way. At least no one can take the memories from me. "And who knows? Maybe when my time is up...Ralph and I can be together again. I'm sure he'd be happily waiting to see me again..."

"Ah, that'd be our ol' Ralphie boy!" Bert laughed. "We could call up my cousin and see if we could get you an appointment to treat your depression. How's that sound?"

"I guess that would work," I nod. "Goodness. Was I _really_ about to kill myself...?" I can hardly believe that just a few minutes ago I actually was on the verge of attempting suicide...

"You were," Bert nods. "Hey, Melissa. How do ya feel about havin' some good ol' peanut butter?" he grins.

"Peanut butter...? That would be lovely," I manage to smile.

I know it will be a long road ahead of me. I know it's going to take quite a long time for me to fully overcome the pain of losing Ralph when we probably had many years left ahead of us...

But maybe I can do it. Bert's always here for me, at least.

Still, I _hope_ Ralph and I can be together again someday...I _hope_...

**THE END**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Wow, reading this again...this is by and _far _the most tragic, depressing thing anyone's ever written for the Raccoons...I honestly can't believe I wrote something THIS sad...Anyways, here's a few notes:

You see Bert mentioning his time in Vancouver to Melissa...that comes from my "Fly By Night" story...which is on hiatus for quite a while until I can get a few more of my story ideas finished. Thought I'd let people know that that particular story isn't abandoned!

The song Melissa hears on the radio..."Crystal" by Fleetwood Mac. I remember seeing on a Youtube video of this song a lot of people saying this song was the song played at their weddings, so, I figured...Why not? I could see a song like that getting played at Ralph and Melissa's wedding. I think it's safe to say you'll see that song show up again in "Growing Up!" whenever Ralph and Melissa's wedding takes place (I will show more of it in that story than I did in "Story of Ralph!")

Hope you enjoy this story (even if it is very sad) and remember, this is only a one-off. I wouldn't kill Ralph off in the actual story timeline I have going...because that would just be sad. I have another (much nicer and more family-friendly) one-off I'll be posting tomorrow, and then, I intend to get back to "Growing Up!" this coming weekend!


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